By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
In a follow-up on a report yesterday about monkeypox cases reported in Wales, the World Health Organization (WHO) provided some additional details in a Disease Outbreak News (DON) today:
On 25 May 2021, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the WHO of one laboratory-confirmed case of monkeypox. The patient arrived in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2021. Prior to travel, the patient had lived and worked in Delta State, Nigeria.
On arrival in the United Kingdom, the patient remained in quarantine with family due to COVID-19 restrictions. On 10 May, the patient developed a rash, beginning on the face. The patient remained in self-isolation for a further ten days and sought medical care for relief of symptoms. The patient was admitted to a referral hospital on 23 May. Skin lesion samples were received at the Public Health England Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory on 24 May. The West African clade of monkeypox virus was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on 25 May.
On 29 May, a family member with whom the patient quarantined developed lesions clinically compatible with monkeypox and was immediately isolated in an appropriate facility. Monkeypox was confirmed on 31 May. Both patients are stable and recovering.
Monkeypox in Nigeria and DRC updates
The health authorities of the United Kingdom activated an incident management team and implemented public health measures, including isolation of the index case and secondary case and contact tracing of all close contacts in the hospital and community.
Follow up is being undertaken for the contacts of the two cases for 21 days after their last exposure. No close contacts have travelled outside the United Kingdom following exposure. Post-exposure vaccination was not offered to contacts.
Information was shared with the Nigerian National IHR Focal Point who have initiated an outbreak investigation and are gathering further information regarding potential source of infection and exposures in Nigeria.
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